8. Getting over the finish line

Even once a partner accepts, there’s still the possibility of counter-offers, cold feet, or other unexpected complications that can undermine the deal. We understand the nuances of making a move and the deep level of trust we develop with candidates makes an important difference. We are skilled at helping partners address issues such as giving notice effectively, handling counter-offers, and ultimately making the transition with minimal disruption. We address some of these issues early in the process, ensuring they are anticipated and dealt with appropriately if they develop.

2. Reflecting your brand in the market

When working on your search, we positively project your firm’s image and brand. Partners consistently tell us, “I never call recruiters back, but your approach was so refreshing I had to return your call.” Based on many years of experience, we know what stands out from the noise and resonates with partners, especially those who may not be actively looking. When a partner receives a call from Garrison, they likely know our firm and reputation for selectivity. The fact that we are conducting a search on your behalf reflects our belief in the quality of the opportunity, and this is consistently reinforced through our approach.

Recruiting Partners and Groups

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1. Designing the strongest search narrative

The partners you seek are contacted multiple times a week by multiple firms and the outreaches begin to all sound the same. This is where we are different. We have learned that the most important ingredients for attracting a lateral partner are a strong strategic vision and a well-articulated search narrative. Marketing a search to lateral partners is much different than marketing your law firm services to clients, and we are experts in knowing what resonates with your target partners. To develop the strongest narrative, we go beyond “why are you looking?” and uncover selling points that will better position you in the market. Our detailed and comprehensive approach stands out and maximizes the likelihood of a favorable response.

5. Transparency and efficiency

We are straight shooters, which ensures that we aren’t time wasters. We tell you the good, bad and sometimes ugly, all with a goal towards maximizing your efforts. While some search firms avoid uncomfortable conversations, we view them as essential. We will help you avoid embarking on searches without a realistic sense of the market and your likelihood of success. Our approach enables you to make the smartest business decisions when it comes to investing your time and resources.

3. Access to the “invisible partner market”

From our many years in the market, we have a broad network of partners and trusted relationships at high levels. Some of these partners are not actively in the market and don’t respond to recruiter outreach - but they do trust us to quietly inform them of certain standout opportunities.

6. Responsiveness and clear expectations

From the moment we begin working together, you will realize that responsiveness and clear communication are woven into everything we do. We are always available, including evenings and weekends, and our response time is usually within a couple of hours. We also set expectations in terms of search updates and check-ins and keep you well informed at every stage.

4. Highest likelihood of success

We are always gratified to hear comments such as, “We tried this search in the past, and the difference is night and day. We have never received as many meetings.” While we cannot guarantee a placement for every search, we do guarantee that our proven approach will provide you the highest likelihood of success.

Erin Sears

Bio

Dan Binstock

Bio

Key Contacts:

Amy K. Savage

Bio

Our Track-Record and Approach

We are highly selective with our searches to ensure our full focus and attention. As a result, our track record outpaces the market. After five years, our retention rate is 75%, compared to the industry average of 50%.

Our unique process helps you stand out in a highly competitive market, so you can attract and engage a broader range of partners and groups – not just read about them in the news.

For Employers

Recruiting Partners and Groups

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7. Close contact and insight throughout the process

We go far beyond presenting candidates and scheduling interviews. Once discussions begin, we remain in the trenches skillfully guiding and navigating the process at each stage, such as advising on interview strategies, candidate feedback, negotiation, and assisting with due diligence. At the same time, we know when to step back to enable you to develop organic connections with the partners.

Representative placements

Representative Practice Groups

Antitrust counseling and litigation practice group into the DC office of an AmLaw 50 firm.
Antitrust practice group into the DC office of a New York firm to complement the firm's existing antitrust counseling practice.
Appellate/commercial trial group into the DC office of a national law firm.
Banking regulatory practice group into AmLaw 25 firm.
Corporate and securities, bank regulatory, and healthcare partners at a Southeastern-based, mid-sized firm establishing a Washington office to complement its existing lobbying practice.
Corporate practice group from a UK-based firm into an AmLaw 100 firm to expand international capabilities within the US.
Government contracts counseling and litigation group into the DC office of a global law firm.
Government contracts practice group from an AmLaw 200 firm into an AmLaw 100 firm to co-lead and expand the firm's existing government contracts practice.
Health care transactional and regulatory practice in New York into the NY office of a mid-Atlantic firm.
Immigration group from an AmLaw 15 firm into another AmLaw 15 firm.
Insurance coverage firm (Chambers ranked) acquisition into an AmLaw 150 global firm.
Intellectual Property/Internet Governance practice group into the DC office of an AmLaw 100 firm.
Investor-focused project finance practice group into an AmLaw 50 firm.
IP (patent litigation and prosecution) practice group into the DC office of an AmLaw 100 firm.
IP litigation practice in east and west coast offices of an AmLaw 50 firm.
IP practice group into a DC IP boutique.
Multi-city white collar/securities enforcement practice group into NY and DC offices of AmLaw 50 firm.
Multi-office environmental/infrastructure regulatory and litigation practice from boutique firm into an AmLaw 10 global law firm.
Patent litigation practice group to co-head patent litigation practice at top-tier IP/patent firm.
Patent litigation practice into an AmLaw 50 firm.
Patent prosecution practice group from an AmLaw 100 firm to another AmLaw 100 firm.
Political law practice from an AmLaw 25 firm to another AmLaw 25 firm.
Privacy practice group from a Northeast-based AmLaw 200 firm to Midwest-based AmLaw 200 firm to establish and co-head practice.
Privacy practice group into an AmLaw 100 firm to co-head global privacy practice.
Private equity/transactional practice into an AmLaw 50 firm.
Project finance practice group into the DC office of a UK-based firm to expand its agency-lender-focused project finance practice and enhance the firm's international capabilities.
Real estate practice group into the DC office of an international law firm.
Structured finance group from top Wall Street-based firm into AmLaw 15 global firm.
Telecommunications regulatory and transactional practice into the DC office of an east coast-based firm.
Transportation practice from an AmLaw 100 firm to another AmLaw 100 firm.
White collar litigation and investigations practice into an AmLaw 50 firm.

Representative Individual Partners

Antitrust attorney (Chief-level) from the Criminal II Section, Department of Justice to an AmLaw 50 firm as partner in their antitrust practice group.
Antitrust attorney (Chief-level) from the Department of Justice to the DC office of an AmLaw 15 firm as an antitrust partner.
Bankruptcy partner from international law firm to a leading Magic Circle firm.
Capital markets partner (formerly in-house) into AmLaw 50 firm.
Capital markets partner from the DC office of an international law firm to the DC office of an AmLaw 75 firm.
CFIUS partner from an AmLaw 100 firm to lead the national security/CFIUS practice at an AmLaw 50 firm.
Commercial litigation partner from a leading DC-based firm into an AmLaw 200 firm.
Commercial litigation partner from the DC office of a global firm to the DC office of a large national firm.
Consumer finance/CFPB attorney as partner into AmLaw 50 firm.
Corporate/finance partner into DC office of leading national firm to help grow firm's east coast corporate/finance practice.
Corporate/M&A partner from an AmLaw 50 firm to another AmLaw 50 firm to lead its corporate practice.
Corporate partner from an AmLaw 100 firm to an AmLaw 200 firm.
Energy/FERC partner from AmLaw 200 firm into AmLaw 50 firm.
Energy/project finance (renewable) practice head into AmLaw 50 firm.
Energy partner from an AmLaw 15 firm to a Texas-based firm with a growing office and energy practice in DC.
Energy partner into regional firm to enhance its east coast-based energy practice.
Energy regulatory partner from an AmLaw 50 firm into DC office of Northeast-based firm.
Export control partner from an AmLaw 100 firm to Washington, DC boutique.
FDA partner from a full-service, AmLaw 100 firm into a high-end FDA boutique.
Federal government department GC (former partner at a top-tier, DC-based firm) into an AmLaw 100 firm to serve as privacy partner.
Financial services enforcement/FinTech group co-head into AmLaw 25 firm.
Former Deputy Chief Trial Counsel from the Federal Trade Commission to an international AmLaw 100 firm as antitrust partner.
Government relations and regulatory affairs counsel from a Congressional committee into an AmLaw 100 firm’s political law group.
Health care/life sciences partner as co-head in AmLaw 100 firm.
Health care regulatory/transactional attorney from mid-Atlantic regional firm to an AmLaw 100 firm.
Investment management/’40 Act partner into AmLaw 50 firm.
IP/patent (337) litigation partner from leading IP litigation practice to an AmLaw 50 firm to lead its Section 337 practice.
IP appellate practice co-head from a litigation boutique to a prestigious patent boutique.
IP partner from an AmLaw 25 firm to an AmLaw 75 firm.
ITC/337 patent litigation practice co-head from an AmLaw 100 patent litigation practice to another AmLaw 100 firm’s patent litigation practice.
Litigation partner from an AmLaw 100 firm to a DC-based litigation boutique.
Litigation partner from an AmLaw 25 firm into another AmLaw 25 firm.
Patent litigation partner from an AmLaw 100 firm to DC office of an AmLaw 200 firm.
Patent litigation practice co-head from a dominant trial boutique to a prestigious patent boutique.
Patent partner from an AmLaw 100 firm into west coast-based firm’s DC office.
Principal Assistant Chief of the DOJ Fraud Section into an AmLaw 10 firm as a white-collar partner.
Products liability partner from an international trial and litigation firm to a DC-based litigation boutique.
Project finance/energy partner into AmLaw 100 firm.
Promotion placement of an associate from an AmLaw 50 firm to an AmLaw 50 global law firm as a partner in their antitrust practice group.
Real estate counsel from AmLaw 50 firm into a suburban business/real estate firm as a partner.
Real estate counsel from an AmLaw 50 firm as partner into AmLaw 200 firm.
Real estate partner into large AmLaw firm to play a key role in its national real estate practice.
Securities regulatory partner from an AmLaw 50 firm into a Magic Circle firm.
Tax partner from an AmLaw 100 firm into role as tax partner in another AmLaw 100 firm.

Our proven process

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What clients are saying:

You want them involved in the entire process, not just in making the introduction. I absolutely value their insights.

Managing Partner

AmLaw 100 firm

Garrison is in the elite group that does their job very, very well. They are far more than recruiters – they are also trusted business advisors who understand the long-term.

Chief Operating Officer

Top-tier boutique

Head of Lateral Partner Recruitment

AmLaw 25 Firm

What do you get when you mix the highest levels of professionalism with good people you just want to be friends with … Garrison.